Beleaguered Shincheonji Church slams joint probe, points to ‘persecution’ and past legal victories
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The Shincheonji Church of Jesus has condemned a joint investigation by prosecutors and police into alleged collusion between religion and politics regarding the religious sect, saying the group has faced “persecution” before and should stay focused on its mission.
The remarks appear aimed at reinforcing internal unity as the investigation unfolds, with Shincheonji pointing to past cases in which criminal complaints by former members were dismissed, as well as to a civil suit that ultimately ended in its favor.
A senior official leading one of Shincheonji’s 12 branches spoke at a gathering on Jan. 25, quoting comments attributed to the group’s leader, according to sources obtained by the JoongAng Ilbo on Monday.
“This is what the chairman said: ‘Is this something new? We just need to do what we are supposed to do,’” the official said. “All we need to do is keep the covenant. They are persecuting us with lies.”
The official went on to say that the more lies are told outside the group, the less fearful members should be, urging them instead to remain at ease and to see through what was described as the completion of the group’s mission in its 43rd year. Shincheonji counts 1984, the year of its foundation, as year one.
The comments were made just five days before investigators carried out compulsory searches on Friday at Shincheonji’s headquarters in Gwacheon and at its Peace Palace training center in Gapyeong County, both in Gyeonggi.
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